Software Settings Based on Geophysical Location

ABSTRACT

A network-connected device may receive specific software configuration settings based on geophysical location information known about the device. The geophysical location information may come from a global positioning system (GPS) receiver or any other mechanism for determining a location for the device. The software settings may be stored in a volatile memory so that when the device is disconnected from a power source, it does not contain the specific settings required for the device to operate. In another embodiment, localization settings to meet regulatory requirements or other local configuration may be downloaded to the device based on the geophysical location information.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and benefit of United StatesProvisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/779,860 filed 7 Mar. 2006 byDonald M. Bishop entitled “Software Settings Based on GeophysicalLocation” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/682,360 “SoftwareSettings for Network Devices Determined by Geophysical Location”, filed6 Mar. 2007, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all itdiscloses and teaches.

BACKGROUND

Many communications networks have devices located in many differentphysical locations. Many of these devices require differentconfigurations based on where the device is installed.

In other situations, some network-enabled devices may be installed andused in many different portions of the globe. Local customizations maybe necessary to comply with various regulatory requirements or specificfunctionality required.

Setting such configurations or localization parameters can be a timeconsuming and error prone process when done in a manual fashion.

SUMMARY

A network-connected device may receive specific software configurationsettings based on geophysical location information known about thedevice. The geophysical location information may come from a globalpositioning system (GPS) receiver integral to the device or any othermechanism for determining a location for the device. The softwaresettings may be stored in a volatile memory so that when the device isdisconnected from a power source, it does not contain the specificsettings required for the device to operate. In another embodiment,localization settings to meet regulatory requirements or other localconfiguration, for example, may be downloaded to the device based on thegeophysical location information.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of an embodiment showing a networkwith dispersed network devices and having a geographic boundaryencircling a subset of the devices.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of an embodiment showing anetwork-connected device having internal geophysical locationinformation storage.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of an embodiment showing periodicchanges to software settings using geographic information about networkconnected devices.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of an embodiment showinginitialization software settings using geographic information aboutnetwork connected devices.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of an embodiment showingcomponents of the software settings that may be modified for deviceswithin a specific geographic area.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustration of an embodiment showing a method forloading software based on geophysical location information.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustration of an embodiment showing a method formaking software changes to devices in a geographic region.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Specific embodiments of the invention are described in detail below. Theembodiments were selected to illustrate various features of theinvention, but should not be considered to limit the invention to theembodiments described, as the invention is susceptible to variousmodifications and alternative forms. The invention is to cover allmodifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spiritand scope of the invention as defined by the claims. In general, theembodiments were selected to highlight specific inventive aspects orfeatures of the invention.

Throughout this specification, like reference numbers signify the sameelements throughout the description of the figures.

When elements are referred to as being “connected” or “coupled,” theelements can be directly connected or coupled together or one or moreintervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when elements arereferred to as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled,” thereare no intervening elements present.

The invention may be embodied as devices, systems, methods, and/orcomputer program products. Accordingly, some or all of the invention maybe embodied in hardware and/or in software (including firmware, residentsoftware, micro-code, state machines, gate arrays, etc.) Furthermore,the present invention may take the form of a computer program product ona computer-usable or computer-readable storage medium havingcomputer-usable or computer-readable program code embodied in the mediumfor use by or in connection with an instruction execution system. In thecontext of this document, a computer-usable or computer-readable mediummay be any medium that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, ortransport the program for use by or in connection with the instructionexecution system, apparatus, or device.

The computer-usable or computer-readable medium may be, for example butnot limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic,infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagationmedium. By way of example, and not limitation, computer readable mediamay comprise computer storage media and communication media.

Computer storage media includes volatile and nonvolatile, removable andnon-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storageof information such as computer readable instructions, data structures,program modules or other data. Computer storage media includes, but isnot limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memorytechnology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other opticalstorage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage orother magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used tostore the desired information and which can be accessed by aninstruction execution system. Note that the computer-usable orcomputer-readable medium could be paper or another suitable medium uponwhich the program is printed, as the program can be electronicallycaptured, via, for instance, optical scanning of the paper or othermedium, then compiled, interpreted, of otherwise processed in a suitablemanner, if necessary, and then stored in a computer memory.

Communication media typically embodies computer readable instructions,data structures, program modules or other data in a modulated datasignal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includesany information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means asignal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed insuch a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example,and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as awired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such asacoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of the anyof the above should also be included within the scope of computerreadable media.

When the invention is embodied in the general context ofcomputer-executable instructions, the embodiment may comprise programmodules, executed by one or more systems, computers, or other devices.Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects,components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks orimplement particular abstract data types. Typically, the functionalityof the program modules may be combined or distributed as desired invarious embodiments.

Throughout this specification, the term “comprising” shall be synonymouswith “including,” “containing,” or “characterized by,” is inclusive oropen-ended and does not exclude additional, unrecited elements or methodsteps. “Comprising” is a term of art which means that the named elementsare essential, but other elements may be added and still form aconstruct within the scope of the statement. “Comprising” leaves openfor the inclusion of unspecified ingredients even in major amounts.

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment 100 showing a network with a geographicboundary. A host device 102 has two network backbones 104 and 106.Devices 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, and 120 are attached to the firstnetwork backbone 104, while devices 122, 124, 126, and 128 are attachedto the second network backbone 106. The geographic boundary 130 includesdevices 108, 110, 112, 114, 122, and 124.

In the embodiment 100, devices that are within the geographic boundary130 may be selected and have software settings updated or changed basedon their geographic location. In many networks, devices attached to thenetwork may have physical proximity but may be located a long way apartfrom the network perspective. For example, devices 114 and 124 may belocated very near each other physically, but may be located very distantfrom each other from the network's perspective. A communication fromdevice 114 to device 124 would travel down the first backbone 104,through the host device 102, and back through the second backbone 106.From a network operator's perspective, the two devices are very farapart. However, from a user's perspective, the devices are neighbors.

Many applications may use the physical proximity of the two devices. Forexample, both devices may be wireless devices that may use coordinatedradio transmissions to broadcast to a subscriber's mobile device. Inanother example, the two devices may be configured the same mannerbecause they may provide overlapping services to subscribers in thearea.

The present embodiment enables devices to be selected and modified basedon the geographic location. Each device on the network may have a GlobalPositioning System (GPS) receiver or other mechanism by which thelocation of the device is known, even when the devices are fixedmounted. By having this information, the network may be operated,maintained, and specialized services may be delivered by using thephysical location of the devices as a criteria rather than networkaddressing. Devices may be searched, sorted, and selected usinggeographic locations for modifications and changes that may be madethrough software settings.

In a coarse usage of the embodiment, a device may be attached to thenetwork, determine in which time zone and country in which it islocated, and download localization software so that the device performsin a user friendly fashion. In a more precise localization usage of theembodiment, all of the devices in a specific business district of a townor the floor of a building may be configured to provide access to acertain group of subscribers.

The embodiment may be useful for rolling out new versions of software,where one area may be updated, tested, and debugged at a particulartime, rather than rolling out a large upgrade over the entire network atonce. In another use, the embodiment may be used for regulating trafficflow in an area. For example, internet telephony calls in the geographicarea 130 may be prioritized for emergency responders at a structure firewhile other data traffic in the geographic area 130 may be restricted sothat the emergency communications go through.

The devices may be network devices such as routers, amplifiers,switches, and other devices along the network that facilitate, monitor,and control network traffic. The devices may be personal computers thatperform various functions on the network, from monitoring weather toperforming word processing, data storage and retrieval, and otherfunctions. The devices may also include servers that handle websites,databases, or any other centralized processing requirements. In somecases, the devices may be network interface points where a subscribermay interface to the network for telephony, internet access, or anyother electronic communication.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of an embodiment 200 showing anetwork device. The device 202 is attached to a network 204 through anetwork interface 206. The controller may read geophysical locationinformation 210 that may be provided through a built-in GlobalPositioning System (GPS) receiver 212 or a removable GPS receiver 214.The controller 208 may have an external interface 216 for connecting toother devices.

The embodiment 200 may be any type of network-connected device thatcontains a GPS receiver or other mechanism for determining physicallocation. In many cases, the device 202 may be fixed mounted while inother cases, the device 202 may be a mobile device. When the device 202is fixed mounted, the network interface 206 may be a wired or wirelessconnection to the network 204. If the device 202 is a mobile device, thenetwork interface 206 may be any type of wireless connection. In a wiredconnection, the network may be an Ethernet or other network. In awireless connection, the network interface 206 may comprise a radiotransceiver, infrared transceiver, microwave transceiver, acousticcoupler, or any other type of wireless network connection.

The geophysical location information 210 may be provided through anymechanism capable of determining a useful geophysical location. A GPSreceiver 212 may be included in the design of the network device 202 andmay be able to accurately determine the position of the device 202within several feet. In other embodiments, the controller 208 may beable to determine the geophysical location of the device 202 throughtriangulation with other neighboring devices connected to the network.In some such embodiments, the devices may communicate through radiotransmissions in lieu or in addition to communicating over the network204.

The geophysical location information 210 may be provided through adetachable GPS receiver 214. A maintenance technician, for example, mayconnect the detachable GPS receiver 214 to the network device 202 duringinstallation in order to have the geophysical location information 210transferred from the detachable GPS receiver 214. The geophysicallocation information 210 may be stored in a non-volatile memory and maybe used by network operators to determine the previous physical locationof a device when the device is brought in for service.

The geophysical location information 210 may be stored in volatilememory. In such a case, the geophysical location information 210 may bereprogrammed each time the device is reconnected to a power supply ornetwork. Such an embodiment may be useful to combat devices from beingstolen and reattached to the network in an unauthorized manner, sincethe device may be programmed to require the GPS receiver 214 to uploadthe geophysical location information 210 before operating on thenetwork.

The network device 202 may have any type of external interface 216. Insome cases, the external interface 216 may be a user interface with agraphical user interface operable on a terminal device. One suchembodiment may be a network-attached personal computer. In other cases,the external interface 216 may include various sensors, monitors, orother measurement devices. In still other cases, the external interface216 may be a second network connection, such as a network router,switch, or relay device that may join two portions of the network 204together. In yet other cases, the external interface 216 may be anetwork access point for other devices, such as wireless or wiredconnections to subscriber devices.

FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment 300 of a diagram showing the periodicchanges to software settings that may be made. When a device is attachedto a network in block 302, the geographic location of the device isdetermined in block 304. Various events, such as a localized emergencyin block 306, a software update rollout in block 308, or a maintenancemode in block 310 may trigger a localized software change. The affecteddevices are identified in block 312 and the software changes aredetermined in block 314. The changes are transmitted to the affecteddevices in block 316.

There are many different reasons for making localized changes tosoftware on network devices. In each case, changes to the devices may bedownloaded to devices that are in a specific geographic area. The eventsthat drive the changes may be temporary, such as responding to anemergency situation or for maintenance, or may be permanent, such asupdating the software deployed on the network.

The devices may operate in conjunction with each other. For example, anetwork of wireless transmitters connected to a wired network backbonemay operate in a synchronized basis. In such an example, the neighboringtransmitters may synchronize some transmissions with each other. Thesynchronized transmissions may not operate properly when the software oneach transmitter is of a different revision. Thus, the devices in ageographic area are identified using the geophysical locationinformation for each device, and that group of devices may be changed orupdated together.

A localized emergency such as in block 306 may be any situation wherethe operation of the network may be temporarily changed. For example, adata network that handles voice transmissions may be configured to givepriority to voice traffic in certain situations. In one such example,voice traffic may be prioritized from emergency services organizationssuch as fire or police that are responding to a fire in a section of acity. The affected neighborhoods may be identified, devices within thoseneighborhoods selected, and temporary commands may be relayed to thedevices so that the emergency voice communications are sent with highpriority. In another example, a network may be configured to route highvolumes of data traffic in and out of a business section of a cityduring the day and reconfigured to route high volumes of data trafficinto residential areas during the evening.

Software rollouts may be performed by identifying devices in a specificgeographic area then updating those devices. A small area may beselected and have software downloaded to those devices. After thesoftware is verified, another small area may be identified and softwaredownloaded. Often during large software upgrades, a network may becomesaturated by many devices downloading a software upgrade simultaneously.By doing the upgrades in small areas, network traffic may be bettercontrolled during the upgrade process. Because the upgrades may beisolated to a specific geographic location, subscriber difficulties orproblems along the network that relate to the software update may beeasier to diagnose.

Network maintenance may be performed by identifying devices in aspecific geographic area and making temporary or permanent changes tothe software resident in those devices. For example, a specificgeographic area may be set aside for performance testing. Devices in thearea may be configured by software to execute specific portions of aperformance test. The devices may be taken offline to perform such testsor the tests may be performed in addition to the normal operatingfunctions of the devices.

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment 400 showing geographic selections ofinitialization software settings. Jurisdictional boundaries in block402, network franchise boundaries in block 404, and business or schoolboundaries in block 406 are used to identify devices by geographic areain block 408 and determine software settings in block 410. Thegeographic boundaries and software settings are transmitted andinstalled in block 412.

Embodiment 400 illustrates just some of the geographic boundaries thatmay be used to make software changes to devices on a network.Jurisdictional boundaries in block 402 may relate to regulatory settingsor settings that relate to the gross geography of the device location.For example, the jurisdictional boundaries may require that a device usea specific encryption standard or for a radio transmitter to operatewith a specific maximum power level or a particular transmissionprotocol. In another example, the geophysical location may be used todetermine the time zone and language preferences for that area.

When a device is located within a network franchise area in block 404,network-specific settings may be installed. These may include softwareapplications that are loaded on the device, network-specific loginscreens or other changes to a user interface that relate to the network.These may also include communication settings that enable the device tocommunicate with other devices on the network.

Devices that service a business or school campus in block 406 may haveparticular settings that are customized for a specific user group. Forexample, login requirements or content restrictions may be establishedfor the devices. In another example, a business may purchase asubscription guaranteeing a specific bandwidth. The network devices thatservice the business may be specially configured to meet the bandwidthrequirements.

In some cases, a device may be connected to the network and make atemporary connection to a server. The server may determine thegeophysical location of the device and determine the appropriatesettings to download to the device. In another case, a device mayconnect to the network, determine its geophysical location, and requestor fetch specific software to be downloaded. In some cases, the devicemay query a database that contains the specific software to bedownloaded to the device in order to determine what software todownload.

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment 500 of various software settings thatmay be downloaded to a network device. The downloaded software settingsin block 501 may comprise basic configuration settings in block 502,franchise settings in block 504, and subscriber settings in block 506.Basic configuration settings in block 502 may comprise a minimumfunctionality set 508, language 510, and time zone settings 512. It mayalso comprise regulatory compliance settings 520 that comprise deviceperformance settings 514, encryption settings 516, and communicationprotocols 518. The franchise settings 504 may comprise networkcommunications settings 522, franchise specific functionality 524, andoperational software 526. The subscriber settings 506 may comprise atraffic filter 528, subscriber-specific functionality 530, and varioussubscription settings 532.

The embodiment 500 illustrates many of the different settings that maybe dependent on the geophysical location of a device attached to anetwork. In some embodiments, the software settings may be downloaded oninitial installation of the device on the network, while in otherembodiments, the software settings may change over time. In eachembodiment, the geophysical location of the device is used at least inpart to select the appropriate downloaded software to the device.

As part of the basic configuration settings 502, a device may have acertain minimum functionality set downloaded and installed. For example,a brand-new device may be attached to a network. Upon initial power upand communication over the network, the device may determine itsgeophysical location and install a minimum functionality set of softwareto provide at least rudimentary communication along the network. Thedevice may be capable of installing appropriate software so that it maycontact a server through the network to determine if any additionalsoftware is required to be installed on the device. The additionalsoftware may comprise other basic configuration settings 502, franchisespecific settings 504, and/or subscriber settings 506.

The device may be capable of determining its geophysical location andselecting an appropriate language 510 and time zone 512 settings. Manydevices are deployed all around the globe, and various embodiments mayself-detect the geophysical location and provide communication in anative tongue to a likely network operator. For example, a devicedeployed in Denver, Colo. may detect its location and configure itselfto have a user interface in the English language and set the clock to aMountain time zone setting. The same device deployed in Finland mayself-configure to a Finnish language interface and with the appropriatetime zone for Finland.

The regulatory compliance settings 520 may comprise any performancesettings for a device that may be regulated by a particularjurisdiction. Device performance settings 514 may include power leveland channel settings for a radio transceiver, for example. Encryptionsettings 516 may be regulated by jurisdiction such that only specificencryption algorithms may be used in certain geographic areas.Similarly, various countries or geographic regions may have specificcommunication protocols in use. The communication protocols may be forcommunications along the network backbone or for communications thatoriginate with the device, such as in the case of a wireless accesspoint where the wireless communication standards may be different in theUnited States and in Europe, for example.

The franchise settings 504 may comprise any settings that may bespecially set by a particular franchise or service provider. Forexample, the necessary parameters to communicate on the network backbonemay comprise the addresses of various routers, servers, and gatewaysalong the network in addition to protocol settings, authorization keys,or other parameters used within the network. In addition, thefranchise-specific functionality 524 may include software that iscustomized for the franchise, such as having the franchise name, logo,or customized user interface on an otherwise generic softwareapplication. Franchise-specific settings 504 may include certainsoftware applications 526 that are made available to or licensed for allusers of the network. For example, a license for an anti-virus computerapplication may extend to all personal computers on the network. Such anapplication with the appropriate license may be downloaded to allpersonal computers within the geographic borders of the franchise.

The subscriber settings 506 may similarly comprise settings that aretailored to specific subscribers based on the geographic location of thesubscriber devices or network devices that support certain subscribers.For example, if a network services a group of business subscribers, thedevices along the network that handle the subscriber's traffic may beconfigured to handle the subscriber's specific needs. In such anexample, the routers, servers, and network communication devices withina specific geographic area may be configured to handle the businesssubscriber's traffic in a specific way, such as allocating bandwidth,prioritizing different types of data, using encryption, filteringtraffic, or other functions that may be requested of a specificsubscriber.

Additionally, end user terminals on the network may be outfitted withspecific application software that are used by the end users. Personalcomputers attached to the network, for example, may be loaded withspecific software applications based on their geographic location and aspecific subscriber's set up.

The subscriber settings 506 may include traffic filtering, where certaintraffic is permitted or denied. For example, a network device thathandles traffic to and from a school campus may have content filteringinstalled to eliminate pornography or other unwanted content. In anotherexample, voice data from a business may be given a high priority toensure quality of service for voice calls.

Subscriber specific functionality 530 may include any type of softwareapplication for a specific subscriber. The software application may be aword processing, spreadsheet program, or some application directlyuseable by the subscriber. The software application may also be anapplication that runs in the background or is not directly used by thesubscriber. Such an example may include anti-virus software, trafficmonitoring software, settings for proxies or other network operationalsoftware specific to the geographic location from where the subscriberoperates, or any similar application.

Subscriber settings 532 may include any settings that are specific tothose subscribers in a geographic area. Examples may include addressesfor name servers, proxies, or other settings specially tailored for thesubscribers in a geographic area.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustration of an embodiment 600 showing a methodfor loading software based on geophysical location information. Thedevice is connected to the network in block 602, and the geophysicallocation of the device is determined in block 604. The geophysicallocation information is queried in block 606 to determine the softwareto download in block 608. The software is downloaded in block 610.

The embodiment 600 illustrates a method for loading some initialsoftware settings, applications, or other configurable changes for adevice when it is initially installed onto a network. When the device isconnected, the geophysical location of the device is determined andspecific software settings are downloaded to the device based on thegeophysical location. In some instances, the embodiment 600 may be usedwhen a device is rebooted or reinitialized.

The device may be connected to the network in block 602 may any method.The device may be physically connected by installing a network cableinto a network interface and powering up the device. In other instances,the device may establish a wireless connection to the network.

The geophysical location of the device in block 604 may be determined byany mechanism appropriate. An integral GPS receiver may determine thegeophysical location of the device in some cases, while in other cases,the geophysical location may be determined by establishingcommunications with other devices with known geophysical locations,measuring the approximate distance to the other devices, and resolving ageophysical location for the device through triangulation.

The geophysical location information is queried in block 606. In someinstances, a host device may query the geophysical location informationin block 606 during the process of establishing communication with thenetwork. The host device may perform a query on a database or otherwisedetermine the software to download in block 608.

In other instances, the device itself may determine the software todownload in block 608. The device may establish connection to theinternet and query a remote database that contains the appropriatesettings for the device in the particular geophysical location. Inanother embodiment, the device may contain an internal database or setof settings that are appropriate for different geophysical locations.For example, the device may contain internal settings for each timezone, but may query a remote host device to determine the appropriatesoftware settings for a particular country or host network.

The software to download in block 608 may range from a simple bitsetting for a specific configuration to extensive software applicationsthat are used by the device. In some cases, the software may includedata files that may be used by other devices connected to the network.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustration of an embodiment 700 showing a methodfor making software changes to devices in a geographic region. An eventoccurs requiring software changes in block 702. The geographic area forthe change and the affected devices is determined in block 704 and thesoftware changes for the devices within the area are determined in block706. The software changes are downloaded in block 708.

Embodiment 700 illustrates a method whereby a group of network devicesmay be selected and changed using the geophysical location properties.In some cases, the host device on the network may initiate the change,while in other cases, one of the network devices may initiate thechange.

For example, a host device may be used by a maintenance technician toselect the devices within a defined geographic area and perform asoftware upgrade to those devices. In another example, a network devicesuch as a wireless access point used for voice and data services mayreceive a user request for emergency voice services in a localgeographic area. The network device may initiate a request for otherdevices within a defined geographic area to reconfigure so that theemergency voice services may have a high priority on the network.

An event requiring software changes in block 702 may comprise any typeof event, including those events discussed in embodiment 300. Localizedemergencies, software rollouts, maintenance issues, and other events maytrigger a software change.

The affected devices in block 704 may be determined in several differentways. In one embodiment, a host device may maintain a database of thevarious network devices and the geophysical location information foreach device. When a query for a specific geographic area is executed,the database may return a list of the devices within the area.

In another embodiment, a broadcast message may be transmitted to all ora portion of the devices on the network. The broadcast message mayrequest a reply by devices within a specific geophysical area. Eachdevice within the area may receive the broadcast message, compare thegeophysical area defined in the message with the geophysical locationinformation stored within the device, and transmit a reply or performthe software change based on the broadcast message.

The foregoing description of the invention has been presented forpurposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, andother modifications and variations may be possible in light of the aboveteachings. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to bestexplain the principles of the invention and its practical application tothereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the inventionin various embodiments and various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated. It is intended that the appended claims beconstrued to include other alternative embodiments of the inventionexcept insofar as limited by the prior art.

1. A method comprising: connecting a first device to a network, saidfirst device having geophysical location information; reading saidgeophysical location information about said first device with a hostdevice; determining a set of software settings for said first devicebased on said geophysical location; and transmitting said set ofsoftware settings to said host device from said first device.
 2. Themethod of claim 1 further comprising: storing said set of softwaresettings in volatile memory.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein saidgeophysical location comprises a jurisdictional boundary.
 4. The methodof claim 1 wherein said geophysical location comprises a boundary of anetwork franchise.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein said geophysicallocation comprises a campus boundary.
 6. The method of claim 1 whereinsaid method is performed in response to a localized emergency.
 7. Themethod of claim 1 wherein said method is performed in response totesting on said network.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein said method isperformed in order to update devices on said network.
 9. The method ofclaim 1 wherein said first device is a fixed mounted device.
 10. Themethod of claim 1 wherein said first device comprises at least one wiredconnection.
 11. The method of claim 10 wherein said wired connectioncomprises a power connection.
 12. The method of claim 10 wherein saidwired connection comprises a network connection.
 13. A methodcomprising: connecting a first device to a network, said first devicehaving geophysical location information; determining a set of softwaresettings for said first device based on said geophysical location byperforming a query against a database comprised in a host device; andtransmitting said set of software settings to said host device from saidfirst device.
 14. The method of claim 13 wherein said first devicecomprises a radio transceiver.
 15. The method of claim 14 wherein saidgeophysical location information is obtained by a method comprisingtriangulation.
 16. The method of claim 14 wherein said first devicecomprises a Global Positioning System receiver.
 17. The method of claim13 wherein said first device further comprises a network address. 18.The method of claim 13 further comprising: storing said set of softwaresettings in non-volatile memory.
 19. The method of claim 13 furthercomprising: storing said set of software settings in volatile memory.20. The method of claim 13 wherein said geophysical location comprises ajurisdictional boundary.